Two dogs die in Hoffman Estates house fire

Dennis Matus looks at what remains of his home in the 900 block of Basswood in Hoffman Estates Saturday. Matus lost two dogs and most all of his possessions to the blaze.BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

This is the living room in the Hoffman Estates home.BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

This is the entryway to the Hoffman Estates home.BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

This is the view through the wall into the kitchen of the Hoffman Estates home, which firefighters are saying may be the source of the fire.BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

A home in the 900 block of Basswood Street in Hoffman Estates sits boarded up Saturday after a fire late Friday evening.BRIAN HILL | Staff Photographer

Dennis Matus lost his two dogs and the Hoffman Estates home he's lived in for 30 years in a fire Friday night in the 900 block of Basswood Street

Matus said he had gone to play hockey around 7 p.m. and returned to find his house completely burned around 9:45 p.m. Firefighters told him that the blaze may have started in the kitchen. The fire went through the roof in the rear of the house and almost everything is a complete loss.

When firefighters arrived about 9 p.m., smoke and fire where seen inside. "The main body of the fire was brought under control quickly," a news release stated.

The news release put the loss to the one-story ranch home at $400,000. Schaumburg and Palatine fire departments assisted in battling the fire.

Captain Mike Hartman would not comment Saturday on the possible cause. "The fire is still under investigation," he said.

The home was found to have smoke detectors, but it is unclear if they were working, the release said. The home was not equipped with a fire sprinkler system.

Matus, who said he raised his family in the house, said he is staying with his son until he can get settled.

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